


Where the Heart Is

by suezahn



Series: Kismet [18]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Post-Return of the Jedi
Genre: Corellia, F/M, Happy Ending, Humor, Kissing, Love, New Republic, Outdoor Sex, Post-RotJ, Romance, Sexy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 15:10:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12510196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suezahn/pseuds/suezahn
Summary: It's not so much the end as the beginning...  Inspired by a passage from "Into the Fire."





	Where the Heart Is

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All characters depicted herein are the property of Lucasfilm, Disney, etc. My only profit is in the form of readers' feedback. Please be generous!
> 
> Note: This story was originally written in 2010 and has now be revised and updated for consistency with the rest of the Kismet Series. A very special thank-you to my lovely proofreaders: Erin Darroch and Marjorie Joyce.

One sweetly solemn thought  
Comes to me o’er and o’er;  
I am nearer home today  
Than I ever have been before.  
—Phoebe Cary, Nearer Home

* * *

 

It was late spring in the southern hemisphere of Corellia, bringing with it sunny days interrupted periodically by random rain showers. As far as Leia Organa Solo was concerned, however, the day’s forecast for the Coronet region called for sun, the occasional billowy white cloud, and a strong chance of romance.

Seated beside her husband in the open-cab Landspeeder, Leia smiled broadly and tipped her head back against the headrest. Han had rented the landspeeder for a couple of days, and as they raced into the afternoon, she split her attention between admiring the scenery and watching him take pleasure in driving outside and unfettered on such a glorious day. Reaching up, she adjusted her sunshades and closed her eyes, enjoying the combination of bright sunlight on her skin and the cool slipstream that whipped around them and tugged at her hair.

With most of Corellia’s famous shipbuilding industry located in orbit, there were still vast amounts of rural landscape, woodland and farmland, and mountains and coastline planet-side. They were currently traveling through the rolling countryside beyond the city limits of Coronet, exploring the patchwork of forests and vineyards and country estates. In several ways, this region reminded her of favorite spots on Alderaan, an observation she’d come to appreciate as that pain of loss had receded with the years. She suspected Han knew this because, when time permitted, he took her out to this region whenever work brought them to his home planet.

They’d arrived on Corellia two days ago to conduct New Republic business, Leia’s goal to finalize a second manufacturing contract with the Kuat Drive Yards. Now serving in his permanent role as her pilot, escort, security, advisor, and entertainment, Han always traveled with her on these trips. While he rarely participated in the actual dialogue, it had been particularly important that he remain detached and in the background this time; the fact that Han was a formerly estranged family member of the Kuats remained a closely guarded secret on both sides, partly to avoid accusations of conflict of interest but also because Han preferred to keep it that way. With time, Han had succumbed to Leia’s gentle urgings and reestablished communications with his family, but both sides diligently kept those few visits private and separate from official travel.

Instead, he’d simply offered her some suggestions from his insider’s understanding of the starship-building industry then left her to it. And thanks to Han’s advice, Leia had succeeded in wrapping up negotiations two days ahead of her scheduled return to Coruscant.

That was all the excuse they had needed.

Their first free afternoon had been a blur of activity; while Han had disappeared to finish up some personal errands, including stocking up on his favorite local delicacies and renting the landspeeder, she’d finished writing up her report, triple-checked the weather forecast, and begun packing all the necessities for a daylong excursion with picnic lunch. At daybreak the following morning, they’d fled the bustling port city in search of fresh air and some long-overdue quality time alone.

There was a noticeable drop in their speed and Leia opened her eyes to see they were pulling off the main roadway and coasting into a vacant flowering meadow edged by hardwood forest. As the speeder came to a stop in the shade of the tree line, she watched as Han shut down the engine. The louder sounds of their vehicle and the wind were suddenly replaced by the peaceful murmur of the sun-warmed pasture around them.

With a cocky, expectant smile, he turned to her and dipped his chin to look over the rims of his own amber-tinted sunshades. Only then did she deliberately glance back over their shoulders to the at-the-moment empty thoroughfare.

“You can still see the road from here, you know,” Leia said in a demure tone.

“Only if we stop right here,” he agreed, then pointed toward a slight divide in the woods to their side, indicating a path she hadn’t noticed. “But that way looks promising.”

Her smile grew as she reached up and patted her hair, checking to see how much damage the wind had wrought. Today she’d worn it in a single flat-style plait down the back to keep it out of her face as they’d raced through the countryside with no particular goal other than seeing it all. Months ago, when she’d announced her intention to chop off half of her hip-length tresses, Han had practically gone into mourning, but in the end they were both satisfied with the shorter result. With typical Solo aplomb, he’d said that at least he didn’t have to worry about falling asleep on it anymore. There was that, but she was also pleased by the ease of care and time saved.

Han’s appearance had changed as well over the past year since the final battle over Jakku and the complete collapse of the Empire. His hair was shorter and he rarely wore the old Spacer’s Guild Bloodstripe down the outer seam of his trousers anymore except when tinkering on his ship, the _Millennium Falcon_. As she’d suspected, wearing it had been a show of solidarity, nostalgia, and his way of thumbing his nose at the Empire for disbanding the organization and forcing him to either submit to Imperial control or become an outlaw. But with the collapse of the Empire’s forces, the reforming of the guild, and his change in lifestyle, there was little reason to wear it anymore and he’d switched to less provocative attire that complemented her upscale wardrobe. The years of fighting and being on the run, his time in carbonite, and the stint of heavy responsibility as a general had matured him, but he was still very much the handsome and scruffy Corellian she’d first fallen in love with, particularly after a fast ride in a sporty open-cockpit landspeeder.

“Come on, Your Worship. Let’s go for a walk.”

Feeling too good to chastise his employment of that ridiculous title—she was almost used to it now, almost—she climbed out of the speeder then paused to straighten the hem of her dress. It was a simple sleeveless sundress that stopped just above her knees; the light green colored pattern had reminded her of spring, which seemed appropriate. Knowing they were heading for the countryside, she’d abandoned higher heels and picked a pair of flat, strappy sandals, something she almost never had the pleasure of wearing in public.

Han climbed out the opposite side of the landspeeder, reached into the tiny backseat to lift out the backpack containing their lunch, then slung one of the straps over his shoulder. She eyed him with a happy smile as he came around to her side. Likewise dressed for the occasion, with an open-necked short-sleeve white shirt, dark gray shorts, and a pair of his own sandals he only wore on the extremely rare times they’d been to a beach, he appeared relaxed and irresistibly sexy.

_To hell with lunch, I’m ready for dessert_ , she thought as her grin grew predatory.

They set out into the trees. As the dark shade created by the branches interwoven high above engulfed them, she copied Han and shoved her sunshades up onto the top of her head to see better in the shadows. The random calls of hidden creatures and universal humming and chattering of insects surrounding them formed a natural symphony of sounds. A rich, earthy scent added to the experience, triggering memories of other forest strolls in her life, but in particular of the woodlands on Alderaan that were nothing but memories now.

“Do you know where we’re headed?” Leia asked in what she hoped was a suitably nonchalant tone although she was starting to feel just a little breathless. Whenever Han set the pace, she was forced to divert some of her attention to matching his longer stride, which tended to leave her feeling like she was always rushing to keep up. Over the years, she’d become convinced this was intentional, his own little way of keeping her off-balance.

“I’ll know the spot when I see it,” he assured her with his customary confidence.

“You know, my father used to warn me about following unfamiliar paths. I can only imagine what he’d said if that included being led down that path by a notorious scoundrel.”

“He probably would’ve given up trying to advise you after you stripped and climbed into my bunk. You obviously weren’t listening.”

“Good point. I have no common sense when it comes to you.” Leia reached out to take his free hand, wanting to reaffirm her affection and slow him down a little.

There was a sudden loud crash of branches and dry leaves, and a flurry of movement off to the side as a sleek, long-legged animal bolted through the underbrush, leapt across the path ahead of them, then disappeared into the scrub on the other side.

Startled, they both reacted. Leia crouched down, ready to dive for cover, while Han’s hand dropped to the empty spot where his blaster used to ride like an extra appendage; well-honed instincts from too many close calls died hard. Only when Han visibly relaxed did she follow suit.

“That was a Jelenie doe,” Han provided helpfully. “It’s baby season and she’s probably got a fawn tucked away over there somewhere. She took off to draw us away.”

“Smart mama,” Leia murmured in relief as she reclaimed his hand.

While the flora and fauna of this planet and region were still foreign to her, they were undoubtedly well-known to her husband, and Leia once again wondered how much he missed his home planet. Han put up a front to hide that sort of emotion—almost as well as she did—but how often, if at all, had he visited planet-side after his self-imposed defection from his family so long ago? Had he ever regretted that decision? She suspected that he didn’t these days since his life had taken such a positive turn and he and his family had reconciled, but she still wondered because she cared.

They walked on in silence for a while, enjoying being alone together within such unadulterated beauty. Up ahead she could see the path widening and ending in a spot of sunbathed grass. However, the moment they stepped out from the trees and underbrush, she realized this wasn’t just another meadow and she brought them to a halt.

They’d clearly stumbled across a private estate, complete with a long well-manicured strip of green grass bordered by neat orchards. The grounds sloped upward to where a modest mansion dominated at the top of the hill, almost gleaming white in the warm sunlight.

“Oh,” she said simply. Remaining still as she admired the picturesque setting, she was reminded of something, but couldn’t think of any reason why it would be familiar. The home certainly wasn’t of Alderaani design. Then she finally broke the silence. “This is private property. We should go.”

“I don’t see anything moving up there. Maybe nobody’s home.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“Come on—nobody will notice.”

“Han, you can’t be serious. We’re trespassing.” With her hand still buried in his larger one, she was led into the rows of fruit trees until they were partially hidden from the hilltop vantage. Rather than get upset—the way “old Leia” would have handled this sort of situation, she admitted with chagrin—she shook her head and used her free hand to drop her sunshades back down over her eyes. With any luck at least she wouldn’t be recognized.

“They won’t mind,” he reassured her. “We’re just going to sit here, have something to eat, and get a little sun. Then we’ll clean up and be on our way. No harm done.”

Leia rolled her eyes but didn’t bother offering any further resistance. It wouldn’t have made any difference except to spoil the mood, and his logic wasn’t so flawed that it warranted an argument anyway. Besides, it _was_ a lovely spot. Who could blame them?

Han set the bag down, pulled out a large blanket, and spread it out on a spot of the grass where half was shaded under the nearest fruit tree while the other half remained exposed to the sun’s rays. As they settled into cross-legged positions beside one another and began to unpack the food and wine in the shade, she said, “It’s a beautiful day. This was a great idea.”

Han picked up the bottle of wine and read the label with apparent approval. “Not bad. Did you pick it out? Their vineyard’s not far from here, you know.”

“I had a little help. The vintner recommended it when I told him our plans.” She loved that he appreciated that sort of thing; it was a facet of him she’d discovered during their personal milestone of a mission on Ord Mantell, and she’d been surprised and delighted to learn of this shared interest.

As he opened the bottle and poured golden wine into the goblets held in his other hand, she helped herself to a piece of cut fruit. Making a delighted sound, she picked up another piece and leaned toward him, indicating he should open his mouth. He did and she popped it in. His lips closed over her fingertips and sucked before she could pull them away—not that she’d tried very hard.

“Did I thank you yet for your helpful advice on this trip?”

“You did last night, Sweetheart, in so many ways. I like it when you’re grateful.”

“You’re such a cad sometimes,” she said, not at all offended, as she accepted one of the glasses he held out.

He lifted up his own glass to clink against hers in a toast. “Well, you sure know how to show a cad a good time.”

She drank to that.

Leia had done a lot of soul searching in the year following the demise of the second Death Star. The conclusion of the war and the evolving of their careers—heavy workloads which had kept them apart most of that time—had taken its toll on their still-new relationship. Spurred on by the very real possibility of things deteriorating, Leia had suddenly announced that she no longer intended to campaign for any sort of leadership role within the New Republic. Instead she had applied for, and received, the much more modest job of new business envoy. It had seemed a rather radical decision at the time, but it was a backstage role she’d come to relish.

For similar reasons Han had followed suit by resigning his commission as a general—or, to be more accurate, he’d switched to inactive reserve, making it very clear that things would have to be dire indeed for him to come back—and accepting her offer of serving as her one-man entourage.

The change in Han’s lifestyle, and because Leia was a competent pilot in her own right who wasn’t above filling in as copilot on their business trips, had meant a major shift for Han’s friend and partner Chewbacca as well. While Chewie still felt he owed a Life Debt, Han had insisted that debt was paid in full many times over, and the Wookiee had finally returned to his own long-neglected family. Soon afterward, Chewie had launched a small shipping and brokerage business from his home on Kashyyyk. With Han volunteering as a consultant, they still remained very close and in regular contact despite their busy schedules, and as far as she was concerned, he was family.

Leia had proved extremely adept in her new role. Her innate ability to read and anticipate the people she interacted with, something she’d relied on since her youth, had become even sharper since she’d learned how to concentrate and tap into the Force when it suited her needs. Her accomplishments had not gone unnoticed and it wasn’t long before colleagues and business reporters alike began referring to her and Han as The Dynamic Duo, something that exasperated Leia and caused Han to regularly make off-color jokes.

As the initial craziness of the New Republic had worn off, things had begun slowing to a comfortable enough pace for them to begin thinking about the broader future, of more personal pursuits and long-term goals like putting down roots and starting a family.

There was no longer any question in Leia’s mind that, aside from marrying Han, the best decision of her life had been to step away from the path so many had expected her to take. It was just the sort of personal liberty she’d believed in and fought for from the start.

Things weren’t perfect. Stress still took its toll and they still squabbled when frustrations overtook them, but just having Han nearby did wonders to ease her troubles, no matter how unconventional or stubborn he could be. By simply walking into the room, he could brighten an otherwise dull day; in many ways he’d been her touchstone since the Battle of Yavin, and that hadn’t changed. He knew how to soothe as well as rile her, and better still, he was learning how to spot when she needed one more than the other. She wasn’t the easiest person to live with—she knew that—and yet he made it clear that putting up with all her faults was worth the effort. That was priceless.

The light meal was delicious, the chilled wine refreshing, and they lost track of time taking turns feeding one another, laughing and reveling in the vacation day. The sweet wine complemented the food and weather, leaving her glowing as she sat enjoying the scenery.

Finished with eating, Han straightened out his long legs and lay back on the blanket. He released a long sigh and bent one arm back to cushion his head while balancing his almost-empty goblet on his stomach with the other hand. He appeared content to just watch the clouds drift by.

“Content” was a descriptor Leia would never have assigned to herself in the past, not with the war and her personal grief and the seeming hopeless nature of their early relationship. But she’d finally learned to live in the moment—an invaluable lesson from this man—and there was no better word to capture her emotions right now. She was content…

…Except that her gaze kept returning to the small mansion in the distance. There was something definitely familiar about that place and it kept tickling at the edge of her consciousness. Had she visited once as a child while accompanying Viceroy Bail Organa on one of his many political junkets? It was entirely possible, although this place seemed too modest, a little too pastoral and simple, for the level of society they’d circulated within back then. In any case, she couldn’t recall any details to justify the strong sense of déjà vu that continued to tease her.

“How long do you think we can stay here?” Leia pondered aloud.

“See anything moving up there?”

“No. It’s been quiet.”

“Then we’re fine.”

“You’re probably right.” Leia twisted slightly to peer down at him, enjoying how peaceful he looked, at home here on Corellia. The sunlight brought out the blond highlights in his brown hair and she moved a hand to run her fingers through it. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” After taking one last swallow, Han set aside his now-empty glass and reached for her hand, drawing her down beside him on the blanket.

She offered no resistance. Twining her arm around his and interlacing their fingers, she joined him in looking up at the sky. “It’s a beautiful day.”

He hummed in agreement while idly rubbing his thumb inside her palm for a while. Then he ventured, “Remember that little spot in the sun by the stream?”

It was Leia’s turn to hum, recalling in vivid detail the tiny sun-splashed glade of ferns they’d found in the forest during the weeks they’d spent on Endor’s moon in the aftermath of the battle. Far from gossipy Alliance personnel and severely curious Ewoks, they’d enjoyed extending their own private celebration of both a hard-won victory and the sudden promise of a future together, done in their own special way. He’d arranged those little outings as well, and she wasn’t at all surprised that his mind was heading in that direction today. In fact, she’d sort of counted on it.

On the other hand, this was anything but a secluded spot and she rolled her head to eye him in suspicion.

He mirrored her movement, but his hopeful expression made it obvious that he’d reached a different conclusion. She knew that look well.

“Don’t be silly,” she countered, being proactive.

“Why not? There’s nobody around.”

“There might be.”

Her fingers were still meshed with his, and he took advantage of that to lift her hand up to his mouth and kiss her knuckles. Then he began a slow advance up her arm, moving his lips along the recess of her wrist over her pulse-point. “There’s nobody else here.”

“Somebody still might see.”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

She let out a long-suffering sigh. Leave it to Han to bring up the time they’d been caught in a storage closet on the Alliance fleet flagship. If the topic of them as an item hadn’t already been a favorite among the rumormongers within the ranks, that notorious little indiscretion had all but ensured them a permanent spot in the Top Ten! While she wanted to be outraged at the reminder—for weeks she’d blushed whenever anyone gave her a longer-than-normal glance, she knew he’d already won this point. Han leveraged her lack of caution with him whenever he got the chance; it was an unfair tactic because she no longer had a higher ground, and yet each time she lost this battle, it just added to his arsenal. The fact she found him so damned attractive did not help matters.

By the time Leia could think of another protest, he’d already rolled toward her and his lips had reached the inside of her elbow. Her determination wavered; this man could do things with that mouth that she was pretty sure were illegal on a few of the more conservative planets.

“Do you really want to risk spending the night in a detention block and charged with lewd behavior on private property if we get caught?”

“I can’t think of a better reason….” He paused for just a moment and lifted his head to waggle an eyebrow at her. “Ever heard of conjugal visits?”

She snorted a laugh before rolling her eyes at him. “I sincerely doubt I’d still be in the mood by that point.”

“Aw, I have complete faith in you, Sweetheart.” He resumed his progress up her arm. “Come on, we won’t get caught.” He sounded so sure of himself that she was halfway to believing him already.

His lips reached her shoulder, then he veered past the strap of her dress to run his tongue along the smooth valley of exposed skin above her collarbone. Now leveraged up on his elbow, he began a casual exploration of her neck, and despite Leia’s best intentions, her head tipped back in automatic response. Encouraged, Han’s free hand came to rest on her closest knee then slowly rode up the bare skin of her inner thigh beneath the hem of her dress.

She could feel her remaining defenses crumble, but just because she was about to give in didn’t mean she couldn’t be smart about it. “Hold that thought,” Leia gasped, stopping his hand.

Rolling toward him to meet his mouth in a promising kiss, letting him know they weren’t finished yet, she pulled away and got onto her knees. After sparing one last glance up the hill to make sure nothing had stirred, she turned back to face him, held out her hand for him to take, then pulled him up to sit upright. She gracefully swung a slender leg over both of his, straddling him before arranging her dress to hide anything incriminating. She smiled at his surprised expression.

Han’s hands began to roam over her back as her own hands snaked around his neck and into his hair, pulling him in close for a much deeper kiss. When he began to caress her sides, his thumbs grazed over her nipples, making them stand out even more under the soft green material of her dress, she moaned in pleasure, suddenly very glad he’d been so persistent.

“Your Highness!” Han said with only partially feigned surprise as his hand once again found its way beneath her dress, this time sliding much higher between her legs. “I do believe you’ve forgotten something….”

“On the contrary, I’m prepared,” she corrected with a purr, the thrill of his discovery adding to her flush of excitement. 

“Were you planning to seduce me?”

“Seduction would imply a reluctance on your part, which…” she paused as her own hands dropped to the front fastening of his shorts to work them open and release his ready erection, “I’m very happy to say you have never possessed.”

Using his shoulders for balance and leverage, she rose onto her knees over him so he could position himself before she slowly sank back down into his lap, taking him inside. A mutual shudder of pleasure went through them as they were reunited once again.

Goddess help her, but she would never get tired of this! He made her feel so wanted and wanton, so complete and alive, and in this beautiful setting today, she seemed to soar on those feelings.

No matter the countless disagreements, heartaches, and humble apologies shared between them, they had always been very good at this.

As they moved together, Han’s powerful arms helping, she took advantage of his embrace to kiss and caress and meet his eyes unhindered, until the stunning surroundings faded from her awareness and she focused on making this moment of unity last, opening herself up to her unique and otherwise unwelcomed ability to sense the life force around and within her, to tap into the Force and willfully join in their communion on a level far beyond the physical they shared now. In these intimate moments, any anger and fear she still associated with her birthright was forgotten as she rejoiced in the gift. Being outdoors and so close to the source of so much energy, combined with Han’s own aura blazing like a nova burst in her embrace, amplified the sensation tenfold.

Leia whimpered in ecstasy and clutched at Han as waves of tingling pleasure began surging through her. Some moments later, when her eyes found his once again, he gripped her hip with one hand and dropped back onto his opposite elbow while she leaned forward onto stiffened arms so he could thrust freely. She sensed he was close, not only from the intensity of his expression and his own heavy breathing, but through that deeper connection. When he did climax, she rode it out with him, overwhelmed and elated by the intensity of the experience.

Panting, Han dropped the rest of the way back down to the blanket and laid there for a long minute, clearly spent. His expression had settled into a mix of awe and affection. Not for the first time, she desperately hoped he could experience that same profound connection, despite his skepticism and lack of Force talent; he never mentioned it, though, and she never dared to ask. She supposed some things were better left unsaid, and there was little sense in questioning what clearly worked.

“You’re amazing,” Han murmured, as if he still couldn’t believe his own luck.

“You inspire me.”

Still regaining her breath, Leia straightened back upright and beamed down at him for a few more seconds before giving in to the inevitable and shifting off. He quickly tucked himself back into his shorts while she decorously rearranged her dress then stretched out beside him on the blanket once more, reveling in the afterglow.

In companionable silence, they resumed watching the sky, their hands once again interlocked.

The shadows slowly grew longer to spill across them, and with a touch of sadness, Leia realized their idyllic afternoon would soon end. Life aboard the _Falcon_ and in their posh apartment on Coruscant wasn’t bad—in fact, they had found a comfortable and fulfilling routine within the pattern of conferences and traveling—but something about this place sang to her and she would be sorry to leave.

“I like it here,” she sighed. “I think maybe it reminds me of home.”

Han’s hand squeezed tight around hers. “I’m glad to hear that, Sweetheart, because I put down earnest money on this place yesterday.”

She sat up abruptly and stared down at him, his words snapping her out from whatever spell she’d fallen under. Clearly she’d misheard. “You did what?”

“It’s ours if you want it.”

Too late Leia realized her mouth was gaping open and she closed it. Han wasn’t above pulling the occasional prank, but about _this_? Then again, it helped explain how he’d known exactly where to park the speeder and why he’d been so sure they were alone, and he had disappeared for a good part of the day before.

“Don’t tease me about this, Han.”

“I’ve never been more serious. Remember when we talked about finding a nice place of our own, not just that apartment on Coruscant? Some place for when we’re ready to have kids?”

“Yes, but….” She didn’t know what to think, her emotions all jumbled up. Mostly she wanted to be irritated that her husband had done all this behind her back, picking a place and even making the first commitment on the property, without consulting her first. And yet the anger wouldn’t come because she wasn’t angry.

Whether or not they could afford the real estate wasn’t the issue; between their combined salaries and the remains of the Organa family off-world wealth she’d recovered following the Empire’s collapse, they could live reasonably comfortable for the rest of their lives.

Leia gazed around them—at the serene settings with the lovely home overlooking it all—and something deep within her suddenly recognized this place. Any negative feelings melted away with the realization. Maybe _that_ was why it all felt so familiar.

“I’ve dreamt of this place,” she said in an awed whisper. “Of us. Here. I asked you where we were and you told me ‘home’….”

Han eyed her for a long moment, his expression inscrutable, and she could imagine what was going through his head; he was thrilled that she’d already fallen in love with the place, but yet he squirmed at the idea of premonitions and the Force. Under normal circumstances, she was inclined to agree.

“Well…, were we happy in the dream?” he asked, and she admired his willingness to compromise with his own internal conflict.

Nodding, she finally felt a smile return as that last tiny coil of doubt began to unwind. “Yes, I thought so.”

“Then that’s good enough for me.” He retook her hand, kissed the back of it in a grand gesture, and then rose to his feet. “Want to get a closer look?”

“I’d love to.”

Han helped her up and pulled her in for a long kiss. Then he held out his elbow for her to slip her arm around.

As they strode up the hill, Leia noticed that the sun was beginning to set, the rays of pink- and blue-tinged light washing over the vibrant tableau around them like a living watercolor, and she hugged his arm closer.

They were home.

 

**The End**


End file.
